THE Western Railway (WR) has refurbished a passenger train coach, which officials can mount to inspect foot overbridges (FOBs) and road overbridges (ROBs) in the suburban section. According to WR, the coach will be used only for inspection of bridges.

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After the G K Gokhale bridge near Andheri station collapsed on July 3, railway officials began inspecting FOBs and ROBs in the section. While initially officials would use ladders to inspect the bridges, they later switched to tower wagons. The coach is being used since July 27.

“We have refurbished an entire coach to be used for inspection of FOBs and ROBs. As tower wagons are also required for inspection of overhead wire equipment, we wanted permanent equipment for bridge inspection,” a senior railway official said.

“The coach has a full-length platform on the roof, stairs and adequate lighting inside. For lateral inspection of bridges, we move the coach to the adjacent railway track. During inspection, we need to use many tools and equipment that can be easily placed inside the coach,” the official added.

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The coach has been refurbished at the Lower Parel workshop of WR. According to railway officials, they are able to inspect bridges faster using the coach. “We are able to save 50 per cent of the total time required for bridge inspection by using the coach. For maintenance staff, the coach helps to conduct speedy inspection of bridges and safety-related works of bridges,” the official added.